Compressor structure



Nov. 27, l1928.

F. R. WEST COMPRESSOR STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 16, 192'? Patented Nov. 27,192,8.

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nitrnor'r, 'MHGNQA conronnfiiiolv or MICHIGAN.

:Application filed February 16,1927.

This invention relates to. a compressor striicture of the type adapt-edto be used for mechanical refrigerating systems and has todopartcularlyvwith a novel valve structure for controlling the flow ofrefrigerant.

Heretofore in the refrigeration art, .the compression system has beenrecognized as very eiiicient and desirable. The compressor itself isoneofy t-he main factors inthe system, andthe efficiency of the compressoris largely dependent upon 'the` structure .and operation of. theyalves..Disk andlpoppet valveshavelbeen generally used in the art, and whiletheyhave been Arecognizedy ascom merciallyefficient-.vand.satisfactory,..they have presented. many difficulties.in that they have required more. or less. fitting of.. valves to seats,and when .improperly designed they have. resulted kin "warpingfrom heatand pressure,..and. have. also beensubject tothe fatiguebf .metal.structure together .with crystallization.. and'hreakage after. a periodof usage. Probably the...rnost. objectionable feature of vdisk.andpoppetvalves of the prior arthas resided in their.. tendency' to produce aresonant ,valve clickingnoise .when seating.. Thisjclicking noisehasbeendueto inherent-vibration.or resonance in valve and valveseatingstructure.,

, Itis the object of thetpresentainvention to provide a valve structurewhich.. will materially obvijate thetabove mentioned idisadvantages. Ifhave found' that byf providing a valve structure formedofa plurality lofthinlaminated disks `in placeof a ysingle Ldisk that it is possible tocompletelylchange the period Of vibratonor resonancewhereby to shifttheclickingnQiseVif any, outside the range of audible human hearing.,

Another ob`ect ofthe presentjinventionis to provide a valvestructureformed of ,thin laminations whereby to permit an exactconformation of the valve toits seat, and to insureaflexibility andlessening of the shock attendantto valve seating.

In the drawings;

. Figa l A:is a, yfragnoentaryA vertical` longitudinal section,takenthrough a. compressor cylinderfembodying my novel.valvestrucftiire, and illustratingthe manner offorming the dischargevalve of relatively thin lamina- OHS- y. j

. ,Fig-d2 isa'sectional. viewsimilar to Fig. l but confined to the-valveplateand 'showing the discharge valve in detail and in cross Serial No.168,502.

section., said valve being slightly modified from the showing in Fig. l,in that theretaining` .spring contacts directly with the laminations. pA

.Fig- 3 is a planview of the valve shown in Fig. 2, the cover platebeing partially cut away.

p .The refrigernting,` system, and the several parts'goingvinto thestructure of the compresserl therefor, need not be referred to indetail, as practically any standardtype of compressor or standard systemofi-refrigerationfmay: be utilized in carrying out myI invention. Ihave, therefore, only illustrated ai .portion of the compressorsuiiicient to indicate lioiv'my inventionmay be carried out. TheIcylinder or cylinder block'of the compressor. may'begenerallydesignated 1,'and the piston head. therefor as 2. lThe charge maybedrawn into the Vcylinder in the space beneath the piston head inanydesiredmanner, and on t-he downward stroke of the lpistonheadQ thecharge isadapted to be drawn infthrough'. the piston head and intolthespace between the piston head and the valv plate 3. y

-Anysuitable .valve structure may` be pro- .vided in. the. pistonhead,but in the particular embodiment shown, the piston head 2 isrelatively Vthick .andisfrecessed by drilling suitable holes 4 andcutting the same away to Iform a series of'serra'tionssimilar tothoseshown in Fig. 8. A suitable disk'valve ,5 is adapted tofreely floatwithin the chamber formedby such V.serratilons .4, and a cover .plate 6.maybe placed. in a suitably formed recess .whereby to .iX the. limitedmovement and maintain the arrangement of such disk valve... l y

The .valveplate 3 is also relatively `thick and .is .preferably recessedat` substantially its ientire 'thickness to form a suitable yseat .Thisseat Zis'ahnost at the bottom of the .valve plate .whereby to reduce theclearance volumeoverthe piston to a. negligible quantity. The recessedpart of the valve" plate 3 isformed by a yseries of semi-circularserrations 8. These semi-circular serrations provide. a suitable well,or Iiruide, for the valve which may be designatedy 9. 4 f

This valve 9.is preferably of a standard thickness, say about .O2 aninch, but instead ofbeing formed of a simple'circular integralplate, itis made up of three or four thinner laminated Vdisks loosely placed oneon top of the other, the total height and strength of the disksremaining practically the same as if a single piece of integral metalwere used, These disks 9, going to make up the valve, being of verythinlaminations completely shifts the period of vibration and resonanceso that the click, if any, is practically inaudible to the human ear.Furthermore, the flexibility of these thin laminations permits of anexact conformation of the valve to the seat 7. Furthermore, I preferablyplace a thin coat or film of lubricating oil between each twolaminations before assembly.

I have found that this lubrication is maintained between the laminationsat all times, and it is believed that such lubrication is maintainedpartly because of an accumulaf tion of oil utilized in the oillubricated compressor.

lhis cushions the noise, and also tends to accentuate the flexibility ofthe laminations.

A suitable cover plate 10 is utilized for maintaining the valveassembly. This cover plate 10 is secured to the upperl side of the valveplate 3, and is provided with suitable apertures 11 for permittingtheescape of gases which pass up through the serrations 8. A. suitable stopscrew and guide pin 12 is positioned in the Cover plate 10 and isadapted to guide the coil spring 13 and also serves as a stop for thelaminated valve 9. In my preferred form the spring 13 contacts with thelaminated valve 9, as shown in Fig. 2, but a plunger may be used betweenthe spring and valve as shown in Fig. 1.

- The valve plate 3 is preferably a die casting, and the serrations 8and the valve seat 7, forming the same, are accurate whereby the facesof the serrations S form a bearing or guide to permit the laminatedvalve 9" to freely float against the resistance of the coil spring 13.

It will be obvious that by utilizing a relatively thick valve plate,togther with a relatively thin valve seat and a laminated but thin valvedisk 9 that I have been able to reduce all noises incident to valveoperation to a minimum. Furthermore, by utilizing a vrelatively thickvalve plate, and by positioning the valve seat closely adjacent thelower edge thereof, and by utilizingthin laminations which are veryflexible and lubricated, that I am able to get practically perfectseating of the valve at all times, and a very high volumetricefficiency. I have operated a valve structure designed in accordancewith the structure shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 for a period of threemonths, and have found the same to be practically noiseless and in`addition to the reduction of noise I have been able to obtain avolumetric efficiency of from to 89 percent at forty pounds headpressure. It will therefore be seen that by providing a relatively thinlaminated disk valve structure that I have not only made it possible tomaterially reduce the noisebut to materially increase the volumetricefficiency of the compressor, particularly when used 1n combination withthe valve plate and Valve seat, illustrated.

It will be understood that my laminated valve structure may be used inpractically any type of compressor structure, and it will also beunderstood that the intake valve 5 may be laminated in a similar manneras the discharge valve 9. The laminations illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2areV somewhat exaggerated due to the size of the drawings, but suchlaminations are preferably no thicker than the solid metallic valvedisks that have been utilized in the past.

`What I claim is:

1. In a compressor structure for mechanical refrigerating systems, aspring pressed laminated, imperforate valve disk for controlling theflow of refrigerant. Y

2. ln a compressor structure for mechanical refrigerating systems, avalve seat forming a part of the compressor structure, a plurality ofplain, circular flexible laminated disks loosely placed one on top ofthe other to form a valve structure, each disk being relatively thinwhereby the period of vibration, and resonance of each laminated disk issuch as to materially reduce any noise incident to the reciprocation ormovement of the valve as a whole. Y

3. In a compressor structure for refrigerating systems, a piston adaptedto compress the refrigerant, a relatively thick valve plate positionedadjacent the end of the work stroke of the piston, said valve platebeing recessed to provide a thin valve seat adjacent the compressionside of the valve'plate, and a valve of the imperforate disk typepositioned on said seat, said valve being formed of flexible relativelythin laminations whereby to permit exact conformation of the valve toits seat and to increase the volumetric efficiency of the unit. Y

t. In acompressor structure for refrigerating systems, the combinationof a relatively thick valve retaining means and a relatively thin valveseat therein, and a plurality of relatively thin imperforate disksfreely positioned one upon the other and adapted to seat upon said valveseat, said thin disks forming the valve and said valve retaining meanscooperating to materially reduce the noise of the valve operation,

5. In a compressor structure for mechanical refrigerating systems, avalve seat and a plurality of relatively thin imperforate, circulardisks freely mounted one upon lthe other to form a valvefor the seat.

6. In a compressor structure for mechanical refrigeration systems, avalve seat and a small, circular, thin valve member adapted tointermittently strike said seat for controlllll ling the flow ofrefrigerant, said valve member being'formed of a plurality of relativelythin iiexible disks of the same size and freely positioned one adjacentthe other.

7. In a compressor structure for mechanical refrigerating systems, avalve seat, and a valve member adapted to intermittently contact Withsaid seat to control the flow of rerigerant, said valve member beingformed of a plurality of disks Which are relatively thin compared tostandard practice, said disks being freely positioned one upon theother, and a film of oil between each tvvor disks, said film of oilbeing maintained during the operation of the compressor.

8. In a compressor structure for mechanical refrigeratinfg systems, avalve seat, and a plurality of relatively thin, plain, circular disksfreely mounted one upon the other to form a valve for the seat7 saidplurality oi' disks cooperating to form a single operating valveapproximately .02 of an inch in thickness.

9. In a compressor structure for a mechanical refrigerating system, avalve seat and a relatively small circular valve member adapted tointermittently strike said seat for controlling the flow of refrigerant,said valve member being formed of a plurality of relatively thin disks,said disks being so thin as to positively shift the period of vibrationand resonance of the entire valve structure during its operation. i

l0. Compressor structure for mechanical refrigerating systems of thetype having a relatively thick valve plate, a valve cage eX- tendingsubstantially all the Way through said plate but leaving only enoughmetal to form a relatively thin valve seat adjacent the edge of theplate next the piston, comprising in combination a relatively thin valvemounted on said thin valve seat, said thin valve being formed of aplurality of flexible disks of such thinness as to shift the period ofvibration and resonance of the valve, whereby to render the operation ofthe valve practically in audible, the large mass of metal in the valveplate absorbing any small noises and vibrations in the thin valve seat.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK R. WEST.

